When I Look Into Your Eyes
by flashpenguin
Summary: After being unsuccessfully mugged in New York, Ashley finds herself in the care of Dave Rossi. Feelings she had buried suddenly come to the surface. But when it turns out that Dave feels the same way, will they deny it or finally give in?
1. Chapter 1

_Just a quick three shot of Dave/Ash for ilovetvalot._

**_Song prompt: "When I Look Into Your Eyes" by Vince Gill & Amy Grant_  
><strong>

**When I Look Into Your Eyes**

The volume of the police station was loud as the sounds from keyboards clacking, doors slamming, and loud voices permeated the air. Normally that wouldn't bother Ashley Seaver, but normally, she wasn't suffering from a splitting headache induced by a well tossed blow of the would be mugger.

Moving the ice pack higher on her cheek, she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Good God, what she would give for a glass of red wine and a nice warm bubble bath…maybe even some Vince Gill on the stereo.

"Come on, Ash," she chastised herself. "You don't have your keys, so how would you drive? Plus with the shiner you are going to have soon enough, driving at night might not be a good idea."

Her stomach rumbled in protest as she realized that she hadn't eaten all day. Other than the granola bar she had swiped from the breakfast bar at the hotel, she hadn't had anything nourishing all day. What were the odds of being in New York alone without any contact? So much for her weekend getaway.

_Liar! You came up to New York to spy on David Rossi! _

"That's not true," she argued. "Is it a coincidence that he would be in town for a book signing?"

_Coincidence? Ha! You don't believe in 'coincidence', so that means you followed him. Why don't you just admit that you got it bad for the old profiler?_

"No! I don't have it bad. And he's not old!"

_Sure! You haven't dreamt about him…what you would do if you got him alone? _Her conscience taunted. _Maybe find out what is under those tailor made Levi's?_

"Shut up," she commanded herself, but she still blushed. Despite the image of David Rossi, she still had a predicament: how was she going to get back to her hotel? Maybe she could hail a cab or maybe ask one of the nice police officers for a ride back to the Ramada. She could order room service and take a bath. Then in the morning she was going to head back to Quantico. So much for a weekend getaway… A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Agent Seaver?" a deep voice asked cautiously.

"Yes?" she replied and tried to straighten up. Not much she could do for the ripped blouse or her disheveled hair, but at this point she didn't care; she wanted to go home.

"Your ride is here," the Chief of Police said as he stepped inside. In his late forties with salt and peppered hair, his smile was warm. Protective of the young woman suddenly in his charge, he had offered Ashley his office to relax in after taking her statement.

Ashley paused. "My ride? I…didn't call anyone," she said carefully.

The Chief smiled softly. "I hope you don't mind, but while you were making your statement, I took the liberty of going thru your contacts list. I saw that you had David Rossi as your point of contact, so I…called him for you."

"You what?" Ashley's eyes widened in surprise and horror.

"I'm sorry, Agent Seaver," he apologized.

"What did he…?"

"He's here to pick you up."

"What happened?" Dave Rossi's voice boomed as he hurried into the small office. Taking one look at Ashley, he immediately knelt down in front of her. "Are you okay? Tom, tell me what happened."

Suddenly self conscious, Ashley pulled the thin blanket up over her shoulders. "I…I'm fine," she stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at the Hilton when I got the call that you were mugged," Dave explained. His eyes looked her over and narrowed when he saw the bruise on her cheek and the beginnings of a black eye. "Has she been to the emergency room?" he demanded of the rookie.

"We treated her at the scene…that's what she wanted," Tom replied evenly.

"You should have had an examination. Are you sure you're okay? No broken bones?"

Surprised by Dave's concern, Ashley gave a nervous laugh. "I'm fine. You should see the other guys," she remarked.

"She's telling the truth," Tom chuckled. "She really kicked their…" he paused for a more appropriate word, "she defended herself very well," he concluded proudly.

"Why are you still here?" Dave asked.

"Because I may have got two of the guys, but the third one stole my keys and my rental. I was getting ready to call a cab."

"They stole your car?" Dave questioned.

Ashley shrugged. "At least I got to keep my purse," she quipped. "I don't have to worry about replacing my cards or ID or my gun. So the car was gravy when you consider everything else."

Dave stood up. "What is going to happen, Tom? Does she need to make a statement?" His hands flexed unconsciously at the thought of getting hold of the thugs who had hurt Ashley.

"She made her statement already, and we have the guys. Seems they have rap sheets an inch thick. But now, with the assault of a federal agent and grand theft auto charges, and this being their third strike…they might be willing to cut a deal," Tom supplied.

"So, she's free to go?" Dave inquired.

The Chief nodded. "She is. She just needs to make sure that we can contact her when we recover the car, but other than that, any time she wants to leave…"

"You can contact me," Dave stated, then looked at the blonde wrapped in the thin grey blanket. "You ready to go?" he suggested.

Ashley nodded and stood up. "Yes. I'm going to get a drink of water," she said and left the room.

Dave slipped his card to the Chief. "I'm staying at the Hilton down the road; Ashley will be there too. Call me if you hear anything."

Tom took the card. "I will. It was good to see you again, Dave. Too bad it had to be under these circumstances."

"Maybe we can get together sometime," Dave offered. "Once in a while the BAU gets a weekend off."

"That would be great." Tom took the card and laid it on his desk. Turning back around, he glimpsed Ashley in the waiting room getting a drink from the fountain. He flashed Dave a smile. "You take care of her. She's a good kid."

"I know. I had the pleasure of working with her for a few months at the BAU. She's had a rough start when it comes to life, but she's a fighter."

Tom chuckled lightly. "Considering the hell she gave those two muggers, I don't doubt that she can take care of herself. But she's going to need a little TLC."

Dave watched Ashley thru the blinds. "I think you're right," he murmured. His heart constricted at the thought of anyone wanting to hurt Ashley Seaver.

"So, I'll call you later. Maybe we can schedule a golf date," Tom said and broke thru Dave's reverie.

Dave nodded. "Okay." He extended this hand toward the Chief. "Thanks for calling me."

"Take care of her," Tom ordered.

"I will." Dave left the room and walked over to Ashley. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes!" Ashley exclaimed.

Dave wrapped a protective arm around his charge. "Let's get you out of here and get a hot meal in you." He guided her down the long hallways to the front door of the police station. Down the stairs to the curb, he hit the button on his key chain to disengage the alarm before opening the door so Ashley could get inside.

Once they were both settled, Dave started the engine. Throwing the gears in drive, he eased into the traffic, but instead of heading south, he went north.

"My hotel is down that way," Ashley remarked as she pointed behind her.

"You're not going to your hotel," Dave commented. "You're coming to mine."

The sensation of butterflies filled Ashley's stomach. "What?"

"You heard me. You were mugged and now I've been ordered to take care of you. Now sit back and relax and let me do my job," Dave returned with a wink. Reaching over, he turned up the music, effectively cutting off further conversation.

A hundred times she had dreamt of Dave riding in and rescuing her. But now that the moment had arrived, she was suddenly nervous at the prospect of spending time with the man she had been harboring a crush on since as far back as she could remember. And now she was going to his hotel room. Oh boy! Sighing, Ashley leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**When I Look Into Your Eyes**

Replete and satisfied from a long bath and gourmet meal, Ashley leaned back on the couch in Dave Rossi's suite and closed her eyes. From the moment he had swept her into his luxurious hotel room and told her to sit down, she hadn't had a chance to do much - other than to let him know it wasn't necessary to fuss and that she was capable of taking care of herself.

He had pressed his finger to her lips and told her to hush and that as far as she was concerned, he had made a promise to the Chief to take care of her and that was what he was going to do. Letting out a sigh, she stood back and let him keep his promise.

Now she was wrapped in an expensive robe and tucked into the corner of the most comfortable couch she had ever sat on while the fire roared and soft music played in the distance.

"What are you thinking?" Dave inquired. His voice cut thru the ambience.

"About…nothing," Ashley admitted truthfully. "I am still a bit overwhelmed by…everything."

Dave sipped his scotch and nodded. "That is understandable. So, are you ready to talk?" he asked carefully.

Ashley bit her lip. "Talk about what?"

"About what happened today."

"Are you going to interrogate me?" she teased lightly.

"No." He set the glass down and picked up his cigar and took a puff. "I just want to know what happened and how you got put in that predicament," he replied. He exhaled the smoke and let the pungent aroma fill the room.

Ashley ducked her head. "It was a wrong place wrong time, kind of thing. I was in town for the weekend and I decided to go shopping. As I was coming out of the store, I had the bags on my arms and the keys in my hand." She brushed the hair out of her eyes and continued. "I had just unlocked the trunk when I felt something tug on my purse strap."

She reached over and picked up the glass of scotch. Brining it to her lips, she sipped the potent, amber liquid. A fiery sensation coursed thru her body. Relaxed, she continued.

"Instinct took over and I defended myself. The butt of my palm against one of the perp's nose and an elbow in the solar plexus and a well placed kick to the other and it was over in an instant."

"So, how did you lose your car?" Dave asked.

"The third guy must have swiped them from my hand while I was distracted," Ashley admitted with a flush. "At least he didn't get my purse with my ID and service weapon, so…it's all good." She sipped more of the scotch as she nervously waited for Dave to say something.

"What were you doing in New York City?" Dave wondered.

"I was on holiday."

Dave raised his eyebrow. "In New York? The Pocono's is a vacation. The Grand Canyon is a vacation. The largest city in America, so you can do some shopping, is _not_ a vacation."

"I had my reasons," Ashley murmured and set the glass on the coffee table. She had been mugged, defended herself, held off two perps until the police arrived, and sat in a station in torn clothes, but she never felt as vulnerable until that moment.

Dave watched Ashley's body language and noticed how she suddenly pulled into herself. She had been thru hell and from the moment he got the call, he had taken it upon himself to protect her. He was pretty sure he knew why she had been in New York, but he wanted to hear it from her. He _needed_ to have her say it, so he could.

"You don't have family out here, so I'm intrigued why you would want to come up here," he went on.

Ashley stood up and began rubbing her hands anxiously. "I…it's a long story. And you don't want to hear my reasons for not thinking this thing thru."

"What do you mean?" Dave asked softly.

Ashley shook her head sadly. "It's just like me to jump feet first into something without thinking a plan thru." She began pacing the length of the carpet in front of the fireplace. "I had this…idea of…I don't know - maybe making an impression." She laughed sarcastically. "At least I succeeded in the impression department."

"You did this for a guy?" Dave chided with a lilt in his voice.

Ashley shot him a look. "Would you be more or less surprised if I said I did this for a woman?" she shot back.

"Point made and taken," Dave grinned broadly. He was throwing her off her game and he was relishing in it. "So who is he? Anyone I know?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does…to you."

"It was a stupid plan…and it wasn't going to work. At least I gave it a try," she groused with a heartfelt sigh.

"What do you mean?"

"The best laid plans of mice and men…looks like I got trapped in my own device." Ashley stopped pacing. "Um…thanks for the room and dinner; I think I'm going to turn in. I have a long day tomorrow." She started toward the far bedroom.

Immediately, Dave on his feet. "Ash, stop!" Reaching out, he grabbed her arm to turn her toward him. "You can't go."

Ashley tensed up at his touch, but she didn't fight him. "Why?" she challenged.

"Because you haven't answered my question." Dave bided his time as he watched her look everywhere but at him. "Who did you come out to New York for?"

Ashley licked her lips. "Ummm…someone…no one," she stammered.

Dave smiled as his eyes softened. "Is it possible that that 'someone…no one' is me?" he wondered and took delight as Ashley's mouth dropped open in surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

**When I Look In Your Eyes**

Ash's blue eyes went wide as she tried to find an answer to the question that could cause everything to blow up in her face. She had had such plans when she started out: come to New York City and conveniently 'drop in' at the book signing, and then make an offer of dinner…and if anything happened afterward, well, she wouldn't say no.

But all that changed with three thugs with crime on their minds. Now she stood toe to toe with the object of her affection - or rather her crush - wanting to know why she had risked her life. Or rather, for whom. Shit!

Licking her lips, Ash lowered her eyes as she tried to think of a plausible explanation. What was it her grandmother used to tell her? _The basis of any good relationship is built on truth and trust. If you are honest with him, he will appreciate it and be honest with you._

She sighed. She had already lost her dignity and her car, what else could she lose at this point? At least she still had her ticket back to DC.

"Yes," she finally admitted. "I came out to see you. Are you happy that I've told the truth?" She felt tears begin to clog her throat. Dave's face was expressionless. "What? You can laugh now, if you want," she choked out. Her hand reached up to brush the stray tear away.

Dave waited to speak, and when he did, his voice was kind. "I'm not going to laugh."

"Why not? I mean, when you think about it, it's rather hilarious," she said angrily. "I came out here with some kind of agenda, and instead, I get mugged and you 'rescue' me." She considered her comment. "You're right, it's not funny, it's sad."

He looked into her eyes. "I don't think it's sad."

"Considering what I had planned, you would think so." She spun on her heel and walked over to the window. Parting the drapes, she looked down to the street and debated making her escape. It would be awkward scaling down the building in a bathrobe, but it would be less humiliating than being where she was right now.

"What did you have planned?" he inquired with a smile. When Ash didn't answer, he walked over to stand behind her. Gently he touched her shoulder.

"Leave me alone," she murmured. Tears blurred her vision. She was so humiliated…at least that was the best word she could come up with to describe the situation.

"Not until you answer my question." He tugged on her arm to turn her around to face him. "I thought we were friends," he chided.

"We were…are," she corrected. "That's why I can't tell you."

"Afraid of breaking the fraternization rules?" He raised an eyebrow mockingly. His tone held slight teasing.

She inwardly groaned. He would remind her that he was the FBI Lothario. That only made things more difficult.

"I like what we had…have…and I don't want anything to change that." She raised her chin defiantly.

"But a part of you wanted to change it or else you wouldn't have come out here," he finished logically. "Tell me what you had planned and maybe I can help."

Shocked, Ash tried to search for the right words to tell him goodnight. Instead, she found herself mesmerized by his huge chocolate brown eyes, and began pouring out her soul.

"I was going to seduce you," she confessed. "I was going to 'bump' into you and ask you to dinner. Then maybe a nightcap." Her cheeks grew warm as she recalled how she had it all laid out - the drinks, the kisses, the seduction. Visions of laying under him, moaning as he pressed her into the mattress danced before her eyes and caused her blush to deepen in colour.

"Oh?" he asked. Seeing Dave's eyes sparkle with humour, ignited her anger.

"Yes! Or as the kids used to say, I was going to 'jump your bones'. There! I said it! Are you happy?" She blinked quickly.

"Really?" Dave's face softened at Ash's declaration. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he tried to comfort her.

"Really, what?" She was confused.

"You want to 'jump my bones'?" his tone was serious.

"I did. But…" her voice trailed off as she ran out of excuses.

"But what?" he encouraged. Hell, she had come this far, she could finish. And with her permission, he would help her.

"Forget it." Her hand waved a dismissal of all things said earlier. But Dave took that as surrender.

"Hard to forget when someone states that they want to jump my bones," he returned. "Hard to let that lie," he put heavy emphasis on _hard._

"Stop saying 'hard'," she requested but her mind was conjuring up images of him naked.

Dave let a lock of blonde hair slip thru his fingers. Soft like her. "Does that word embarrass you?"

She swallowed until she could find her voice. "Sort of."

"I've never seen anyone blush like you do. Your cheeks turn a unique shade of pink." He stroked her cheek. "Soft," he murmured, "just like you. I wonder what else is soft."

Every protest she had ready died on her lips. Dave Rossi was touching her and complimenting her. She had to be dreaming…what was happening couldn't be real. But she didn't dare pinch herself; she liked the fantasy her mind had created.

She could only watch helplessly as he took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. Electric sensations shot from her hand to travel thru her body at lightning speed. The feel of his goatee against her skin started a flutter in her stomach.

"So…" he growled seductively, "do you?'

Ash blinked in confusion. Seriously, after what he was doing to her, he wanted her to _think_? "Do I, what?" she asked stupidly.

"Jump my bones." His voice wrapped around her like a safe blanket.

"I…" She licked her suddenly dry lips.

The moment Dave's eyes met hers, he knew he was a goner, but he was too seasoned to reveal his emotions. Stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, he could hear the change in her breathing. He wanted her so badly that he couldn't wait another minute. At her continuing hesitation, he decided to give her a little push.

"Say yes, Ashley," Dave drawled in a tone that was somewhere between fine aged scotch and rich velvet,  
>"so I can finally make love to you."<p> 


End file.
